Ingesting a protein supplement may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, new research suggests.

Whey protein - well-liked by bodybuilders - was found to lower blood vessels pressure and cholesterol as well as making blood vessels vessels healthier.

Those taking supplement were found to have eight per cent less potential for developing a dangerous heart condition.

Experts say it could be very good news for the 18 mil adults moving into the UK and the 72 , 000, 000 in the usa with high blood vessels pressure.

Lead researcher? gnes Fekete, from the School of Reading, said: 'The results of this trial are incredibly exciting. It shows the positive impact that dairy proteins can have on blood pressure.

'Long-term studies show that folks who drink more milk often be healthier, but so far, there has been little work to gauge how milk proteins affect blood pressure in particular. '

Research workers looked at the impact of drinking two proteins shakes per day for eight weeks on 35 pre and mild high blood pressure levels patients.

They used is sold whey protein powder snow combined with water and tested alongside a casein - a different sort of form of milk protein - dietary supplement.

A control group was given by a supplement containing maltodextrin - a kind of carbohydrate.

The supplements offered around 10 per nickle of the recommended daily calorie intake and were asked to remove certain foods from their diet to prevent putting on weight.

They will found signification reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure over a 24-hour period after eating the supplement.

Cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels - excess fat seen in the bloodstream that are known to improve the risk of heart disease - were also decreased.

Tutor Givens, who was included in the research, said: 'By giving people a high dose of pure whey protein, similar to the amount employed by athletes, we were able to visit a significant impact over an eight-week trial.

'We will be looking to further understand the impacts of milk proteins on other markers of cardiovascular health and over a much longer time frame. '

Study co-author Professor Julie Lovegrove said: 'One of the important impacts on this study is that whey protein may have a role, within a healthy diet, to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease. '